THE NYC HEALTH OFFICIAL “BIRTHING PEOPLE” VS “MOTHERS” DEBACLE.

Morse made a reference to “Black and Puerto Rican mothers,” but followed that up with “non-Hispanic White birthing people.” I suppose we’ll forgive her for capitalizing “white” in the context, even though that falls outside the boundaries of the AP Style Guide on racial capitalization. Some of her followers quickly jumped on her for the implication that Black and Hispanic pregnant women are “mothers” while pregnant white women are not.

Sensing trouble like a watchdog, the city Department of Health responded to a request for comment from the NY Post. They offered a correction and an apology. They said, “we apologize for inadvertently gendering Black and Puerto Rican birthing people.”

No, that’s not a joke. That’s what the DOH spokesperson felt required an apology. They had “inadvertently gendered” Black and Puerto Rican “birthing people.”

Update Newspeak Dictionaries accordingly, comrades.